tongues wag

Idioms  

1. People are gossiping. For example, Tongues wagged when another police car was parked in front of their house, or Their arrival in a stretch limousine set the neighbors' tongues wagging. This metaphoric expression transfers the rapid movement of the tongue to idle or indiscreet chatter. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tongues wag

In Bhutan, chilis aren’t just a spicy ingredient that makes eyes water and tongues wag.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2026

Then, issue a press guidance that he will be making an announcement on Tuesday and watch the tongues wag.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2025

It was for other distracting reasons that the selection made tongues wag — at least among those who spend their Sunday evenings watching CBS’s “The Good Wife.”

From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2015

But smalltown tongues wag easily, and Saint-Maur's gossips, titillated by frequent glimpses of Alice and Raymond strolling in deep communion by the river's edge, let their speculation run free.

From Time Magazine Archive

Should I keep her in my household and let the tongues wag, as they were doing, or clatter if Zoe should have a child?

From Children of the Market Place by Edgar Lee Masters

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